With this Ring: Post episode for Blood of a Jeannie
by Kylie18
Summary: "Jeannie, when a man asks a woman to marry him, there are things he is meant to do. Things he should say before and while he puts the ring on her finger." Tony finally gets Jeannie her ring and proposes to her...their way.


**Authors notes:**_ "Guess Who's going to be a Bride? Part's I and II" and "Blood of a Jeannie" are my favorite episodes in the series. I've always been struck by the change in Tony from "Jeannie and Bachelor Party" to "Blood of a Jeannie". He is so in love with her in that episode, can't keep his hands and lips, hehe, off of her. I wanted to get into his head and flesh a bit of that out. And, I wanted to give Jeannie her ring. Spoilers for Season 1-5, but mostly five. Great reason to watch if you haven't before or rewatch if you have. _

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"I can't just put it on your finger. Not here. Not like this." He should have done this from the beginning—he should have had a ring for her. He should have gotten down on his knee. He should have told her how crazy he'd been going without her. He should have made this whole thing into something more than him suddenly changing his mind when he thought he was going to lose her.

"Why not?" Jeannie asked, confused. The ring was theirs. They had just paid Mr. Ormandy and he was off getting a receipt. What more was there to be done?

"Because this isn't how it's done," Tony told her. He'd told Mr. Ormandy not to put the ring in a box or bother with any other packaging. He was just going to put it on her finger as soon as the receipts were signed. He understood now why Mr. Ormandy had looked at him the way he did; eyes wide with shock and face twisted with disapproval.

"I do not understand," She said softly, her voice filled with confusion. "Is it customary to wait a length of time before wearing the ring?" She wondered, trying to make sense of it all.

"Jeannie, when a man asks a woman to marry him, there are things he is meant to do. Things he should say before and while he puts the ring on her finger."

"Oh," She nodded, though she did not really understand, "well did you not already say these things?"

He sighed and shook his head. All she cared about was that he loved her; he knew that. She wasn't like other women; she didn't need the fancy proposal while he was down on one knee. She didn't even know that she was to have a ring. All she wanted was him. But that didn't mean she didn't deserve more from him. He'd been unfair to her, whether or not she knew it.

"No. Yes," He started, but he shook his head. "I didn't say them the right way, Jeannie."

"And you must say them correctly before I can wear my ring?" She was more confused now than when he'd first stalled putting the ring on her finger. "I do not care about words, Master."

He shook his head and offered her a soft smile. "I know that darling, but you deserve them."

He hadn't really thought it about until Mr. Ormandy handed the ring to him. What this all meant. They'd been engaged for almost two weeks and he wasn't shy about telling people. But things hadn't really changed. She still thought of herself as his genie and still tending to him as such. It was all words, at least until this morning—until he watched her eyes light up and her smile fill with joy as she carefully studied each ring Mr. Ormandy took from the case. She was really his and he was hers and for better or worse, he couldn't live without her.

Her blood was still going to be red and green. She may or may not lose her powers after they got married. Some of their children could be genies. The ring wasn't going to change any of that. But it was going to show the world that no matter what he wanted her, that he needed her at his side.

It was an overwhelming realization and one he'd yet to completely process. Since they'd left Ormandy's earlier in the day, he hadn't been able to stay away from her. His need to touch her, even if it was his palm barely there against the small of her back as she passed by him, his hand in hers, or his arm around her waist…was unbearable. Maybe it was that he finally felt free to show affection to her or maybe he just couldn't take another minute without being as close to her as he could be. His need to kiss her was even harder to fight. They'd kissed before; many times in fact. It wasn't as if the taste and feel of her lips were something new. It was different now, somehow. More intoxicating, more overwhelming, more relaxed. He didn't have to worry any longer that she was going to get the wrong impression of him; of them. Or that she'd think now he was finally going to marry her. He didn't have to worry that if he kissed her again, it might be the last time he was able to stop himself from surrendering to her.

"I only want you, Master." Her voice was soft and sweet, and it floated into his ears, drawing him back to their conversation.

He nodded and reached for her hand. He was careful to tuck the ring into his palm to keep from dropping it, while he raised her hand to his lips. "American custom says that I should get down on one knee," He started, holding her hand near his chest—near his heart. "…that I should wax poeticize about you and my love for you and that putting this ring on your finger before I do that, would mean bad things for our marriage…"

"That is not true," She shook her head vehemently; angry that any custom would dictate that words being said or not said could predict the success of a marriage.

"No it's not," He assured her. "I'm not the type of guy who understands all that romantic stuff, Jeannie and while I want to do this right, all I keep coming up with is that I love you. That hasn't changed in the five years since I found you, and it never will."

She nodded, blinking past a few tears. "I love you too."

"Good," He smiled as he brought her hand back to his lips.

"Now may I have my ring?" She asked through a bright smile. "Or are there more words you must say?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked, motioning around the store. "You could blink us to the beach where I found your bottle…"

She shook her head playfully, delighted by his desire to please her. "I have waited five years for that ring, darling. I do not think I can wait one more minute."

"Five years is a long time…" He teased as she held out her left hand to him.

"Yes," She nodded. "But I am patient."

He laughed aloud at that, offering her a soft smile before he turned his focus to her hand the ring he was just about to slide onto her finger. "Confident you were going to get your man, were you?"

"Oh yes," She nodded bouncing happily on her feet. "I knew that sooner or later he would come around."

He nodded, eyes darting up to meet hers as he eased the ring onto her finger. "I don't really understand why I waited," He admitted, "It's not like I was going to stand by and let another man love you. Not when…"

Whatever else he was poised to say melted into her lips, and the soft kiss she was placing on his lips.

"Mmm, what was that for?" Tony wondered against her lips when she finally pulled away.

She giggled softly back at him, and held out her now ring clad hand to him. "That is how I knew."

He was confused this time.

"The way you kiss me."

"How do I kiss you?" He wondered curiously.

"Well," She started, "I think it to be like all of those words your customs tell you to say."

He nodded but didn't get to reply, as Mr. Ormandy cleared his throat to get their attention. He took her hand and pulled her close, nodding as Mr. Ormandy told him where to sign. All these years he thought he was playing it close to the vest, keeping her at bay, keeping her with him but never really together. And all these years, he'd been kissing her with the words he'd never let himself say.

That seemed about right, all things considered.

They were never conventional; at least not in the way the customs and fairytales meant them to be.

He hoped they never would be. It may have taken him a long time to get to this point, but he wouldn't trade it or her for anything.

**Fin**


End file.
